02/12/07 Take A Cue From St. Valentine To Celebrate The Holiday

Take A Cue From St. Valentine To Celebrate The Holiday

The Capital Times
Monday, February 12, 2007
Jean McElhaney Lone Rock

Dear Editor: For an alternative way to think of Valentine's Day, consider one story of St. Valentine.

Emperor Claudius II of Rome was having a hard time getting enough men to join up for his military campaigns. He outlawed marriage, thinking more men would sign up if they didn't have wives and families to leave behind. St. Valentine was imprisoned because he kept marrying people anyway. He was a political prisoner, acting for love despite a leader bent on war.

So perhaps there is more to his legacy than chocolates and sentimental cards. Another way to celebrate might be to help prisoners, including (but not only) prisoners of conscience.

Close to home, one could support Madison-area Urban Ministry (www.emum.org) with its program to support newly released prisoners in successfully staying out.

A more international approach could involve writing letters for Amnesty International, which works to prevent torture and free prisoners of conscience (www.amnesty.org).

Or contact U.S. officials about the people being held at Guantanamo Bay without any legal rights.

In the U.S. today, people are in prison because they took action when their country's policies favored militarism over love. They love humanity enough to nonviolently act for peace. They include protesters of the Iraq war, nuclear weapons and the School of the Americas. We can write them letters of support or even take action ourselves. (For example, check out Voices for Creative Nonviolence, www.vcnv.org, or the Declaration of Peace, www.declarationofpeace.org, for information about the current nonviolent campaign to end the war.)

We can think of St. Valentine's civil disobedience and ask ourselves: What are we willing to do for love? In the meantime, don't forget the chocolate and sentimental cards!